


Cold Hands

by DGCatAniSiri



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 23:29:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1836139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DGCatAniSiri/pseuds/DGCatAniSiri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You were a frustrated scavenger hunter as a child, weren’t you?”</p>
<p> “Come on, Kaidan. Where’s your sense of adventure?”</p>
<p>“I left it back at Port Hanshan, along with sensation in my feet."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Hands

If he looked out the window again, the only option he had was going to be to shoot Shepard. After all, shooting the snow wasn’t going to do him any good. And it was Shepard’s fault they were out here anyway. He just had to see everything about any place he drove a Mako around, rough terrain or no. Kaidan’s stomach still hadn’t forgiven Shepard for the various planets they’d traveled across during the long hunt for Saren.

“You were a frustrated scavenger hunter as a child, weren’t you?” he muttered as Shepard plowed the Mako up another hill, despite the fact that the tank was not designed for mountain climbing. 

Shepard just gave him a smile. “Come on, Kaidan. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I left it back at Port Hanshan, along with sensation in my feet,” Kaidan shot back. He did not appreciate the cold. It might have had something to do with repeated geth attacks in the midst of blizzards during their hunt for Saren. Synthetics may not have cared about the weather, but he would swear to his dying day they had selected so many horrible worlds for no other reason than to torture him personally.

After the former Spectre had been dealt with, the Alliance had given the _Normandy_ and her crew the option of an extended shore leave. Kaidan had planned to take it on Elysium, enjoying the beach, sun, and surf, as well as the people watching. Then he’d learned that Shepard was planning on staying on board the _Normandy_ and personally overseeing the repairs and refit. Kaidan had cancelled his plans (there may have been some arm twisting from a certain asari archeologist involved in his decision as well) and told Shepard to pick a destination and they’d go together.

Shepard’s destination of choice had been to return to Noveria and chart some new paths for the corporations to take so they could build new labs, given that Peak 15 was effectively in ruins. He apparently felt guilty for having to kill Commander Ventralis and his men (as much as Kaidan respected his CO being such a paragon of virtue, it certainly was irritating at times, particularly given that Ventralis had tried to kill them) and had gotten a request for aid from Elanus Risk Control. Kaidan would wager that they had wanted a donation, maybe an endorsement from the man who had saved the Citadel. But they weren’t going to turn him down after having made the request just because he wanted to do something else. 

Of course, it severely cramped Kaidan’s plans for a vacation. He’d had no intention of ever setting foot on Noveria again after what they’d gone through when they’d been there before. Rachni, asari commandos, geth, snow, bureaucracy... No, when the _Normandy_ had lifted off that day, he’d said that he’d never set foot on Noveria again. And yet here he was with Shepard, who was actually enjoying riding around the planet in a Mako. _The bastard._

Shepard kept the Mako moving, looking down at the scanner and trying to determine a good location for the corporations to establish their new research facility. Kaidan felt a growing urge to reach out and strangle his CO, even if the murder of a superior officer would get him a court-martial from the Alliance and the murder of a Spectre would put him in the line of sight of a Citadel Council tribunal. Right now, the risks and benefits were at about fifty-fifty.

“Commander, do you even know what the word ‘vacation’ means?”

“It means the brass aren’t handing us assignments and we still get paid.”

“I’ll let Webster’s know they need an update. My definition is that we’re supposed to relax.”

That got Shepard to turn to him with a grin. “What, you’re not relaxed?”

Before Kaidan could respond, the Mako hit a snow bank and went flying. Kaidan grabbed tightly on the crash webbing over his head. He hadn’t felt the need to do that in months, having grown accustomed to Shepard’s often erratic (at best) driving, but this time, it felt like the only way he’d stay put. The Mako bounced a couple more times and then slammed into the mountainside, coming to rest upside down on top of its own cannon. 

After there had been a few moments of silence, leading them both to believe that they weren’t in danger of taking more damage or being sent soaring through the air again, Kaidan shot Shepard a nasty look. “No, Commander. I am NOT relaxed.”

Instead of responding, Shepard started doing a check on the damage to the Mako, a task made awkward due to their orientation, but for once he could do that without worrying about getting the Mako immediately right-side up to deal with whoever was shooting at them this journey, so he opted to take advantage of the opportunity. He glanced at the tank monitor on the dashboard. “According to this, the damage isn’t that bad.” He attempted to start the Mako back up, but there was no movement.

Kaidan looked out the window and got a reason. “Commander...?” He motioned out the window and Shepard saw what he had – the Mako’s front wheels now resting out beyond them, already being buried by the snowfall.

Shepard let out a flurry of curses under his breath (and delivering a brief pound on the displays that had lied) before grabbing the comm device on the dash. “Port Hanshan, this is Commander Shepard on a mapping expedition. My Mako’s suffered serious damage and I can’t move.”

There was a brief pause as they waited for a response. “ _Message received, Commander. Unfortunately, the weather conditions around the Port have resulted in a lockdown. It may take some time for the Board of Directors to approve dispatching a rescue vehicle_ ,” the ERCS officer on the other end reported.

“Are you kidding me?” Shepard demanded. “The conditions are bad enough out here that if you wait to dispatch anyone, we’ll be buried under snow and inaccessible!”

There was a pause and then a different voice cut in. “ _My apologies, Commander._ ” The more gently soothing voice of Captain Matsuo was a welcome sound. “ _Unfortunately, Lieutenant Kala is correct. The Board of Directors won’t approve anything faster than after the immediate threat of the blizzard passes. I know that doesn’t help you in your current situation, but your communication beacon is active, which means we have a lock on your current location. I will attempt to pull some strings on my end and get assistance out to you as soon as possible._ ”

Captain Matsuo’s explanation was still frustrating, but it was difficult to remain angry when her voice remained so calm and understanding. Besides, she was a Port Hanshan authority figure who actually both respected Shepard, both the Alliance officer and the Council Spectre and was respected in return, which meant that she would actually attempt to do something to help them, rather than just repeat policy. 

“Understood, Captain. Thank you for the assistance,” Shepard said, though the grimace on his face indicated that he was saying it more because it was the proper response, not because it was what he thought.

“ _Of course, Commander. Please remain where you are until we can get to you._ ”

As Shepard let out a frustrated grunt as he settled back in his seat, Kaidan glanced to him. “Did Captain Matsuo just make a joke?”

It was a half-hearted attempt at humor at best, but, under the circumstances, it was something of an ice breaker (...no pun intended), getting a lame chuckle out of Shepard. “I think she did.” He shifted in his seat then braced himself. “I’m probably going to regret this, but I’m not going to spend however long we’re stuck in here upside. Help me out here?”

Orientation was problematic, that was true enough. Kaidan nodded and Shepard grabbed the side of the seat. Kaidan reached over and detached the seatbelt from its clip. Despite his grip, Shepard wound up falling against the Mako’s ceiling in an undignified heap. Kaidan desperately attempted to keep from snickering, this was his friend and commanding officer, after all, but damn if it wasn’t an amusing sight to see the Hero of the Citadel, Commander of the Normandy, and the first human Spectre in a pile of limbs. 

Shepard glared up at him and began to right himself. “Just remember, you’re next, Alenko.”

Instead of responding, Kaidan detached his own seatbelt and used his biotics to keep himself in the air until he could twist around and land on his feet. Shepard glared daggers at him. Kaidan smirked. The effort had been draining, given the precision involved, but he decided the look on Shepard’s face was worth it. “So what’s the plan now, Commander?” he asked, trying to redirect Shepard’s attention so he didn’t opt for revenge. 

With just a pointed glare to him, Shepard refocused on the matter at hand. “There should be a couple of thermal blankets in the rear storage compartment. It’s not going to be long before the temperature in here starts to drop.” Now that he mentioned it, Kaidan could already feel an icy touch starting to creep in. He hoped it was more psychosomatic, rather than actual cold. 

“That’s an idea I can get behind. Sir.” The thermal blankets on a commercially owned Mako like this one functioned like sleeping bags, a nice change from the simple sheets they’d used to warm up in the Normandy’s Mako, which had to be designed like that to allow soldiers with about thirty to forty pounds of armor and artillery to toss them aside and get out of the tank quickly.

Shepard moved to the back, being careful not to hit his head on the seats above him. Naturally, the rear storage was upside down, but at least it wasn’t like the floor of the Mako and the ceiling had a whole lot of space between them. There was just enough for the two grown men to stand without hunching over, though it was close. 

As he reached out to open the compartment, Shepard held out a hand to catch the blankets as they fell. The surprise came that it turned out to be ‘it’ falling out of the compartment, not ‘them.’ “Minor problem,” Shepard stated. Kaidan would agree to that. One blanket would only cover one of them at a time. ...Or both of them together.

It took a moment, but Shepard offered the blanket to Kaidan. “Take it, Kaidan. You hate the cold more than I do.”

For a second, Kaidan almost reached out and took it without a second thought. But he wasn’t going to condemn Shepard to freeze either. The hope was that the Port Hanshan rescue team would get there before they’d both freeze, but relying on that was pinning your hopes on the wheels of bureaucracy. Given that Noveria was rapidly becoming his image of hell, it would erupt in flames before those wheels got the grease they needed to be considered reliable. “You need the warmth too, Shepard. There’s enough blanket that... we could share it.” 

There was a moment of silence between them as that sank in. “Suppose we could. I mean, it’s certainly better than one of us freezing our ass off.” Awkwardly, Shepard opened the blanket up and motioned for Kaidan to join him. Kaidan stepped forward, ending up about chest to chest with Shepard. For a moment, Kaidan’s breath hitched in his throat. Then the blanket was around the both of them, Shepard gently pulling the both of them down to lie on the ‘floor.’ 

For a few moments, both were silent, just sort of wallowing in the awkwardness of the situation. Kaidan found his breath quickening slightly. He tried not to focus on that, on the fact that he was sharing a sleeping bag with John Shepard, the savior of the Citadel, the man who had stopped the geth, and who was... Well, hell, Shepard was a very attractive man. That wasn’t something that Kaidan could deny. There was a charm and attraction to the man, something that was difficult to deny... or resist.

Kaidan hadn’t exactly been attracted to Shepard since he’d come aboard the _Normandy_. More... aware of him. Shepard had an air of confidence and skill that couldn’t be ignored. He was someone to pay attention to. Kaidan didn’t often find himself attracted to other men, though it had happened before but Shepard did fall in to what he considered his type in a man. 

And now, here they were, trapped in a Mako, wrapped up in a blanket, and not even with the extra layers of armor, since they were in civilian clothes for this – shore leave meant leave the hardware on the ship (though, of course, both of them had sidearms close by). It meant that they only had the simple clothes on their back, which weren’t exactly designed with hiding... certain reactions in mind. Kaidan attempted to clear his mind of certain thoughts.

“Kaidan?” Shepard’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. “You okay?” 

“Uh... Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine Shepard.”

Shepard’s eyebrow quirked, indicating that he didn’t seem to agree with Kaidan’s assessment of his own wellbeing. “Are you sure, Lieutenant?” He shifted slightly, causing a bit of friction between the two of them that went straight to Kaidan’s groin. He tried to ignore the sensation, to push down his natural reaction, just because this was not the time or place...

Then he realized that Shepard had slipped an arm around him, pulling him closer, and there was a responding... reaction from Shepard. 

He looked to Shepard. There was a gentle smile on his lips. “Shepard?”

“You know, Lieutenant, there are a few other ways to keep warm here,” he said. He had a suggestive grin on his face, indicating what he was thinking was not in the average survival technique guidebook. 

And Kaidan had no complaints. He saw the look in Shepard’s eye. “Do you have any ideas, sir?” he asked, an answering grin forming.

“A few.”

“You mind sharing?”

Shepard’s smirk got a little evil. “And give up my tactical advantage?” He rolled over, pinning Kaidan underneath him. “You see? The element of surprise. Works every time.”

“I do see. Thanks for the lesson,” Kaidan grinned. He leaned up and caught Shepard’s lips with his own. “Surprise.”

In seeing his own ‘tactic’ turned against him, Shepard pretended to be angry for a moment. “Damn you, Alenko, you crafty bastard.”

Kaidan gave his best evil laugh and returned Shepard’s kiss. Kaidan cursed himself for cheating himself out of doing this before. They could have been together so much sooner and had this so much earlier. Time to make up for lost time. Their bodies pressed together, and part of Kaidan wanted nothing more than to get Shepard out of his clothes. He snaked a hand under his CO’s shirt, running his hands across the strong, firm muscles of his body. Feeling adventurous, he decided that Shepard was wearing too much, so he pulled it up and over Shepard’s head, letting him get to see what he’d just been caressing.

“Like what you see, Kaidan?”

Kaidan didn’t trust he could say anything that resembled intelligent speech, so he just nodded. He glanced to Shepard’s face, seeing that irresistible smirk of his. He had to kiss him. He just let their lips press as Shepard rolled them back onto their sides, their arms wrapped around one another. Kaidan wasn’t paying attention to anything other than the feel of Shepard against him. When Shepard pulled back briefly, he looked around dumbly, lost for a moment at the sudden lack of sensation. Confusion cleared away when he realized that Shepard was peeling off his shirt as well. 

Just as Shepard was about to give it the final tug off, he looked at it, contemplating something. Kaidan was just irritated that he had paused. “You know, given the temperature out there, taking off our clothes seems like it might be a bad idea.” There was a twinkle in his eye, indicating that he was really saying this for the fun of torturing the man pinned against him.

Kaidan just smirked himself. “With all due respect, _sir_ , I think we’re making enough heat on our own. Don’t you?”

“You have a point, _Lieutenant._ ” He leaned in for a quick peck before yanking the shirt off. With that barrier gone, they wrapped their arms around one another, both feeling happier than either had in a long time. 

_I should have taken the chance and done this long ago_ , Kaidan thought to himself as his hands got a little adventurous and ventured slightly below Shepard’s waistline. Normally, he considered himself too restrained for such acts, that being impulsive enough to make a move on his superior officer was an act beyond him, due to the potential risks, both personal and professional. But now, his impulsiveness was rewarded with seeing Shepard shiver with pleasure. And likely anticipation. And that was a sight that dreams were made of.

Kaidan was definitely not cold anymore. 

That was a sensation that Shepard seemed to be sharing, as his hands were wandering as well, one of them sliding into the front of Kaidan’s pants and wrapping around his erection. Kaidan hissed in pleasure. “You like that, huh?” Shepard grinned. Kaidan just nodded, not sure he could get coherent words out right now. He began to move his hand around to Shepard’s own shaft. 

As much as both of them were clearly enjoying it, as the gasps and moans they were making the other make made explicit, they also weren’t going to last for very long. Although Kaidan hadn’t realized it until Shepard had pretty much come right out and said it, he had wanted Shepard for some time now, maybe since even before Eden Prime. There’d always been something in the air between them, he just hadn’t realized it had been desire. And now that his buried fantasy was reality, he was already coming to the brink. 

The fact that he could feel Shepard reaching that point as well made it better. Now that they had it out in the open, they could let this time be frenzied and hurried. There was time for later.

Their climax came almost simultaneously, Kaidan just pulling his hands back to keep them from getting completely messy. Shepard collapsed bonelessly on top of Kaidan, his head burying in the crook of Kaidan’s neck. Kaidan felt Shepard’s hands pull out of his and get wiped on the thermal blanket. “So I’m guessing that we’re not giving this blanket back to Port Hanshan?” he asked.

Shepard chuckled. “Probably shouldn’t. Awkward questions.” After a moment, Shepard began kissing Kaidan’s neck. Kaidan let out a soft, pleased moan and slowly ran his hands up and down Shepard’s back. Both of them were feeling the urge to just close their eyes and sleep. Given the heat they’d practically poured into the thermal blanket, it should keep them warm enough for some time...

Kaidan then noticed that there was a blinking light over on the dashboard. “Shepard..?”

“Mm?” was the groggy reply.

“I think someone’s trying to contact us.” That got Shepard to open an eye and he reluctantly pulled away from Kaidan (who couldn’t stop a quiet moan of displeasure at the loss of both the loss of the warmth of the body on top of him and the hot flesh that he’d been touching) to answer the call. 

“Shepard here.”

“ _Commander. I was afraid we’d lost your signal. I have good news. I’ve managed to convince the Board to dispatch a rescue vessel out to pick you up. They’re already on their way and should be there within fifteen minutes._ ” Captain Matsuo sounded rather pleased, though given her usually measured speech, it was difficult to tell for sure.

Shepard glanced back to Kaidan, who was already reaching around for his shirt. “Thank you, Captain. Shepard out.” He sighed as he cut the link. Kaidan tossed him his shirt. “Suppose we’ll have to save round two for the hotel.”

Kaidan couldn’t help the grin. “Looking forward to it, Commander.”


End file.
